This is my first year running a haunt it nothing elaborate basically a traditional haunted house we put a few new spins on some old tricks but basically we are your run of the mill small haunt. I have been acting and building in local haunted houses for the better part of a decade, but since opening a charity haunted house I helped build and scare at last year has been a night mare. At one point me and the person running it were talking ticket packages bc we are both in a small town just outside a college town, but they started about a week ago harassing my employees at their regular jobs and school about what was in my place. Hell I gave them all free passes about 2 weeks ago bc I opening one week before them and wanted some feedback(none of which were redeemed). They have even went to facebook to trash me about stealing ideas. Who knew a drop window and maze was an original idea that no other haunted attraction has ever used?! Anyways I have told all my people just talk to them like old buddies and act like. We could careless because in my opinion all competition is good as long as you have a quality product, but at what point do I actually need to ask the other owner what gives? I was so mad last night when some of my kids from a local school said they have been getting harassed I planned on building a 20' tall sign across the road from their haunt advertising mine since I own the land directly across from them lol, but tonight is their opening night and hopfully they get opened up and it works their jitters out and they will relax.

don't get your hopes up of them stopping, unfortunately i was in the same situation two years ago, then last year as well. some people are just rude, disrespectful, and downright unbelievable when it comes to seasonal money.

If I was you, do what I did, have your actors screenshot any crap they see, email it to you privately, and send all the bullshit to your attorney. Then have your attorney write up something small, a letter or even an email through their website (cause you know they're reading those!) and simply have the notice state your intent to make things serious if they don't start respecting your actors and your haunts name.

If that doesn't work. Hit them with every slander and libel lawsuit you can until they keel over and die. I'm sorry to say that, as I'm just about the last person to sue anybody and for the most part I really hate people who are sue happy, but sometimes in this business an attorney is the only way to get your point across. It seems like you have genuinely tried to make things right with them. The sign....well that wouldn't be a bad idea at this point anymore, but check with zoning, they might have something else to say about it.

Good Luck and Continue to take the high road, don't let other people ruin your values or change you as a person. Avoid your actors getting involved at all costs and just let them be there own worst enemy.

The saga continues tonight we had a group come from there just to tell us my competitor had the best haunted house they have ever been to. Then they went on to say we were a piss poor haunt....

That might actually be of some concern to me if they would have actually went thru my place, but two of the girls had no money and the other two said they weren't going thru an abandoned hospital.... So why the hell stop by.... Sounds fishy to me..

The last statement was damn near exactly what happened when a new guy opened up 12 miles south of me. Had a group go through the maze 1/4 of it and took optional exit. And as they were leaving this little 10 year old kid was yelling "this place sucks...I rather go to Boneyard". That day signs magicaly appear on my road for that place. In a few years you will look back and laugh everytime a REAL customer gives you feedback on your neighbor.

That's so sad. There's only a handful of fellow haunters who can really appreciate and share your experience, and instead of enjoying that thing in common, they turn it into a poison of sorts. They must really feel insecure. I kinda feel sorry for them.

You want to know how to REALLY get under their skin? Kill them with kindness! I know it's a cliche, but it works very well. ALWAYS speak kindly to them, and of them. When you do press interviews, make sure to mention something nice about them. Write something nice about them on your Facebook and website. This approach has two effects. 1) It makes you look mature and generous in the eyes of the public, which is always a good thing. 2) It will drive them crazy knowing that they can't "get to you"! People say rude things and act like idiots to get a negative reaction. If you refuse to give them that reaction, it drives them absolutely crazy!

If you want to test this theory, just do it while driving some time. When a moment arises (and it will) when you and another driver have a conflict of some kind, look directly at them with a huge smile on your face, and give them a big friendly wave. It drives them CRAZY! I think I saw a guy's head almost explode once when I did that. You would've though I'd just shown him nude pics of his wife or something. When someone is desperately trying to get a negative reaction out of you, but you refuse and only give them kindness, it drives them insane.

I agree Tiki, except it doesn't always drive them crazy. Sometimes they just forget whatever the beef was and end up being your friend instead. I've had that happen at least on two different occasions, and I've always been very happy with the result. I don't know who said it, but the old adage is true: "The best way to destroy your enemy is to make him your friend."